The Other Blake Sister
by LeShyWolf
Summary: Grieving for her mother, Samantha Blake moves to Chance Harbor with her sister, Cassie. But when she finds out about her inner witch, she wiggles her fingers and sparkles some chaos, makes friends and gets involved in the every day drama. Jake/OC Maybe HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**The Other Blake Sister**

**Summary: Grieving for her mother, Samantha Blake moves to Chance Harbor with her sister, Cassie. But when she finds out about her inner witch, she wiggles her fingers and sparkles some chaos, makes friends and gets involved in the every day drama.**

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The stars were beautiful.

A tear slipped through my left eye and slid down my cheek, the cool breeze brushing onto my skin causing goose bumps to rise. My legs were brought up to my chest and my arms automatically wrapped around them as I gazed out up at the dark abyss that glistened with tiny diamonds. My blue eyes spotted Orion's belt and a weak small smile appeared on my face but vanished as quick as it came, my heart throbbing with the memories that burned me. My mom was _dead_. At first, I didn't want to believe it, it didn't sink in. But over the few weeks, the fact that my mom was really gone was registered in my mind.

I was sixteen, I needed my mom. Cassie, my sister, and I needed her. My body felt numb the first time I had found out, I didn't cry until her funeral. Cassie just cried into me and clung to me like I was her rock the night we found out that our mom died in a fire, the way she clutched to me. It was like I was the only thing keeping her grounded. I just sort of stared at the floor and hugged her, trying to process it all. Mom would want me to take care of her, but how could I do that when I could hardly take care of myself?

Guilt and remorse filled my entire being when I thought about my last words to my mother, I hugged my legs tighter as a lump formed in my throat, eyes stinging. A shaky sigh emitted from my lips as I calmed myself down to stop crying, a couple of stray tears escaped, but I wiped them away. I had to keep myself strong, for Cassie. My sister needed me, but it was just hard, you know?

It was very early in the morning by the time I had gotten to the place Cassie and I were staying at, it was only temporary. Staying with one of her friends. I had hardly got any sleep lately, I just put make-up over my baggy eyes to make it look like I was sleeping just fine to Cassie. She didn't suspect anything, especially when I wore sunglasses all the time and came up with several excuses to keep them on, even indoors. Mostly the main reason being my eyes were sensitive to light or I just keep feeding her some other bullshit.

The door creaked slightly as I snuck in, keeping as quiet as possible as I silently and slowly walked up the stairs towards the guest room. Kayla, Cassie's friend we were staying with, was a real heavy sleeper anyway. Like me really, once a fire alarm in our house went off, I slept like a baby through all the drama. Kind of scared my family actually, that I could sleep through anything.

We were leaving for Grandma Jane's tomorrow- or well, _later _considering it was already the next day, just really early in the morning. Yeah, my sleeping routine wasn't going well. I seriously couldn't _remember_ the last time I got a proper night's sleep. I wanted it, but the guilt of what I said was eating me alive. Cassie didn't even know. What made me hate myself even more was that I couldn't just walk into my mother's room with a freshly baked batch of brownies and my sweet apology smile that I knew she couldn't resist with the two mixed together.

_Oh mom, I'm so, so, sorry. _I thought sorrowfully to myself as I walked into my guest room and sighed, dragging my feet across the floor. Glancing over at Cassie, I saw she was fast asleep. The moon light pouring in from the window and through the wooden blinds, in narrow shadowing horizontal lines illuminating on Cassie's face. She was sleeping on her side, hands underneath her face.

With a soft smile at how peaceful and content she looked, I walked over towards my own bed on the other side of the room that I was currently borrowing. Shifting off my leather jacket, which was cold since it was outside, I put it on the back of the chair on Kayla's desk before changing into my PJ's and slipping into the sleeping bag, staring up at the ceiling.

My mom, every time I thought about her, all I could think about was that one night that haunted me. I could have said I love you, told her how much I appreciated all the things she had sacrificed for me and done. I could have told her how much I loved her for making those little brownies in return whenever I was upset she just _knew_ as if she was telepathy connected to me. Once, I came home and was very upset because some bitchy girls were bullying me, she took one look at the fake smile on my face and made a batch of brownies.

That was a thing with us, I got upset, she made me those brownies. She was upset, I made her the brownies. Either of us wanted to apologize, we made the brownies. It was _our thing_. Our funny way of comforting each other since I hardly cried around anybody. We didn't have to talk, I'd eat the brownies, or she would, and then we'd end up looking at each other before smiling and hugging, making up.

But what I said to her was unforgivable.

Especially since she _died_ right after I said it.

She was the one who got me introduced to art and books, I also did gymnastics before she died. That was a month ago, I gave it up after, but I was thinking of doing it again. To keep myself distracted and my mind focused on something that wasn't so depressing and remorseful. I couldn't keep pondering on something that was in the past, even if I found it very hard not to, I had to keep myself concentrating on something other than my mom's death.

Before my sanity run's away completely.

Sighing, I allowed my eyes shut, musing over my eleventh birthday, stuck in the past with memories of my mom. Cassie and I went to the stables and I fell in love with a horse named Jack. He was a beautiful, cheeky, mischievous thing, took a nip out of mom too, but I remember getting along perfectly with him, I loved the horse. Claimed him loudly too. Heh, Cassie gave me a weird look when I sang the words '_Love is in the air_' and hugging Jack's neck. Mom just laughed.

Figuring I really should just get out of the past, I laid on my side and looked out the window, staring at the moon as it glowed beautifully. The moon was stunning in itself, Cassie said it was pretty but she didn't think it was as amazingly gorgeous as I did. Just _look_ at it. Mom always did say I was a bit of a artistic dreamer or something-

_Dammit_, I shook my head in annoyance. _Stopping thinking about mom._

Eventually, by the time I was finally drifting off after dealing with the thoughts finally fading away, Cassie had 'woke' me up and told me it was time to go to Jane's. Our Grandma's. We hadn't seen her in years. When she woke me up, I felt like snapping at her like a rabid animal since she deprived me of the sleep I felt like I was going to get after what seemed like an eternity. But it wasn't her fault, she didn't know about the lack of sleep I had been having and I didn't want her to feel guilty.

Having a shower, getting changed and covering the evidence of me not sleeping well, I slid on my sunglasses with a deep scowl as I looked at my reflection. My skin was so pale, pasty almost. Unhealthy. My head was throbbing and I just felt so awful. I was literally destroying myself bit by bit, fading away. Cassie looked completely healthy despite the trauma of losing our mother, I knew she hurt badly inside, so I was sucking it up and helping her. Even though it felt like I was going to drop to the ground any damned second.

I wore my old black combat boots with the laces loose and tucked in the boots lazily and tattered denim shorts along with a baggy grey shirt that had a picture of a faded wolf imprinted on it and fell down my shoulder slightly, revealing slight skin. It was old, urban. Something that I had bought in some old fashioned store, but I loved it.

Fiddling with my locket, I got into the car beside Cassie and rested my feet on the dashboard. She gave me a look but gave up when I gave her a smirk and continued to keep my feet there. It wasn't as if I was doing harm to the car, plus these boots weren't dirty or anything. I was comfortable in this position anyway. My arm rested on the window after I rolled it down completely and my hair whipping about slightly because of the wind from outside.

Closing my eyes, I allowed the cold, refreshing feeling to wash over me. It soothed me, caused me to feel free from the world and it's ties, free from the pain and suffering that my mom's death brought. Just for a moment, I allowed myself peace. For a split second, I let go of everything, of the heavy remorse, of the agony of never seeing her again. I just let go and relaxed, pushing out any dark thoughts.

But, of course, death always had a way of having a negative affect on you. The dreaded feeling always came back like a boomerang. I was never allowed one moment, to imagine that my mom was still with us. With Cassie and I. We didn't even have a dad. Our mom told us that he had died tragically in a fire. John Blackwell, a name that haunted her. I saw it in her eyes, she looked sorrowful. But something else. She always said John Blackwell's death was hard on her. And that was why she moved away form Chance Harbor.

But there was something else. I suspected something was going on, that something scared her. She looked like a deer caught in headlights when I always asked her about her past in Chance Harbor, I always knew something was up, just a gut feeling that I always got when something was _there. _I felt I was missing something big, that it was right underneath my nose or right in my face. Like it was obvious and I felt stupid I hadn't figured it out yet.

But nothing made sense.

Why was dear mother so secretive about her past?

Did something spook her away?

Cassie never thought much of it, and I never dared ask her now. Because, if I was calling mom a liar, especially in a time like this, she wouldn't talk to me. She would give me the cold shoulder and avoid me, angry. And I didn't want her angry at me, I had already lost mom, I couldn't lose Cassie too. That was just too much. She and Jane were the only ones I had left, and I hardly knew Jane all that well. I didn't visit her as often or bond with her as often as Cassie did, and for that, I felt bad.

"Cass?" I asked, glancing over at her. At the call of her name, she glanced at me questionably, I noted that her sad blue eyes looked a little tired, she was as in as much pain as I was. I hesitated, pursing my lips. Not being the best person for advice, so I settled with, "It will get better." Not quite sure myself, but I repeated it, voice more confident. "It _will_ get better."

She said nothing for a moment, looking back at the front of the dashboard and driving down the road, her plump lips trembling a little. She inhaled and nodded, shifting in her seat before she sighed. "I know." She said to me quietly, her voice and tone so soft I barely heard her.

We stayed silent for a few minutes.

"Thank you." She whispered, I simply nodded a little.

"You're welcome." I whispered back, eyes drifting to the road, watching the other cars zoom pass.

I knew that Cassie couldn't believe that she was gone, but my mind kept going back to the night that haunted me. If only I was there, if only I could have spoken to her and told her just how sorry I was and how much of a brat I had been. She was proud of Cassie because she got good grades and acted like a normal, teenage girl. Me on the other hand, she nagged me to death, telling me how I needed to be responsible, needed to get my act together and grow up.

She was right, **god**. How'd she literally **_die_ **to hear those words out of my mouth. Sadistic pun not intended. My humor was just a tad sadistic, but mostly if somebody fell, tripped or walked into a door mostly. While everybody else would go to help, I'd burst out laughing and tease them about it all week. Even if I tripped, I'd laugh at my embarrassment and shrug it off. Even if I knew she was right, I wasn't responsible. It was just... _me_ in general.I missed her. More than anything in the world. I even missed her disappointed stern mother stare.

After what seemed like hours of listening to the radio and chatting with Cassie every now and then, we had finally arrived to our destination. While Cassie got out her bags and approached the rusty old gate that even from in the car I heard squeak, I saw through the slightly foggy windows grandma Jane coming out of the house. Her crazy auburn hair very curly and wearing a purple cardigan with a nice scarf, some apparent wrinkles and a happy smile spread across her face.

After looking at her talk to Cassie for a minute, I sighed and gained my courage to meet my grandma. Reaching behind me, I took the bags from the back of the car and opened the door, setting the bags on my lap as I released my seat belt with the click of the button. Getting out of the car, I brought the heavy bags with me and closed the car door behind me with my foot before walking around the car and looking over at grandma.

She looked over at me, did a double take and I caught the glint in her eye as I smirked at her. Her face finally broke out into a grin and she rushed over towards me as Cassie walked into the house. She gave me a side ways hug and took one of my bags. "Samantha? Good lord, how long has it been? You look all grown up."

"Well. It _is_ custom of the human body to grow and age as life goes on, it's the natural body process," I sent her a teasing cheeky grin as she gave me a look but had an amused smile that spread on her lips. "You look great Grandma."

"As do you," she replied as we walked in, I saw Cassie looking around the house and did the same. So this was were mom grew up. It was neat I supposed, familiar and homely with a warm feeling to it. But just not the same as our old home. It felt wrong, like this was only temporary. Like we were just visiting rather than staying permanently.

Sighing, I went to my room when Grandma showed us, I let Cassie have mom's room, it being too painful with enough thoughts running through my aching head and the swelling throb of my heart was too much. I didn't want to start bawling like a baby so I took the room next door. On the plus side, I had a balcony, which was awesome. Though, the only thing I could view was another person's window, and it wasn't even a good view, it was at a certain angle. Cassie would probably get a better view.

Not that I'd want a better nosy view anyway.

I opened the balcony door's and stepped outside onto the small balcony, leaning and resting my hands on the black railing, my eyes closing as the wind brushed up into my face, causing goose bumps to ride from the cool chill. Sighing, I rolled my tense shoulders and tried to relax. But my mind was elsewhere, like always. Cassie had told me I seemed distant, in my own little world. But I was thinking about that night most of the time feeling mortified. Every night, I dreamed of her face, the skin melting away and her agonized howls of pain filling my ears. Again, I sighed.

"A new start." I muttered as I opened my eyes, leaning forward onto my elbows on the railing now as the guilt-ridden churn of my chest twisted uncomfortably. _A new start in Chance Harbor, Washington. Oh, and I start school tomorrow. Perfect_. I grumbled and nearly face-palmed. School. Great.

Didn't you just love sarcasm?

After unpacking and shoving my stuff in my draws and closet, I had dinner with Grandma and Cassie. I was mostly quiet, lost in my own thoughts as I nibbled on some food. Jane kept on trying to coax me into talking, but I excused myself and went to bed early, AKA I went on my laptop for a while before getting out my sketch pad, drawing a raven. He looked so elegant for a bird, I made his head held high, his feathers shining. My fingers were black from smudging it, shading the lovely picture.

I hummed and ripped a blank page from my sketch book, forming and making a paper airplane and writing my name on it boredly and doodling a raven on the left wing before holding it up and threw it gently, yet firmly, into the air. It flew across my room elegantly and softly and I watched it as the paper plane crashed into the wall and fell to the ground.

My eyes drifted around and looked around the silent room.

"I need more hobbies..." I muttered pathetically, closing my laptop lid and setting my PC aside before clutching my pillow, I scowled a little. "And friends..." Sighing, I continued to mumble to myself as I shut my eyes. "Starting tomorrow..." I whispered, feeling tired and yet not being able to sleep.

So I just closed my eyes... and rested... as I waited for the next day.

It was a new town and a fresh start.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Other Blake Sister**

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**Disclaimer: I don't own The Secret Circle or any of the character's except the art teacher Mr. Young and my oc, Samantha.**

**It's been what? I haven't updated this story since 4/23/2012 xD I'm so sorry. Seriously, I'm so, so sorry! ****Writer's block and college AND my personal life got in the way. But I'll try to update more now. **

**Here, you've been waiting long enough. Enjoy.**

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"I hate math."

Cassie rolled her eyes with a small, slightly strained smile towards me while I chewed on the end of the pen. We were sitting in the library, working on our math homework (already on the first day of school, I know) with much difficulty. Well, Cassie was great at math so she wasn't finding it hard at all, but I was struggling. I had always had trouble with math, all the numbers tangled in my mind, it made me feel frustrated and stressed when I tried to do it. I got teased for not being able to do it at our old school.

My blonde sister sighed and reached over, looking at my dumb answers on the sheet, she had been attempting to help me for the past half hour, our lunch was nearly over. I had ate a banana and some grapes on the side, but was still hungry and getting very annoyed with this math homework. I wanted nothing more than to rip it up and throw the table across the room. The tips of my fingers drummed on the wooden table, I stopped and looked at my slightly chipped black nail polish, irritated with my stupidity.

The bell rang, echoing in the school building. I stood up, the chair legs shrieking against the floor as I did so. Reaching up my arms to the ceiling, I stretched and yawned before packing my stuff away. Cassie also got up and shoved her stuff in her bag. I felt exhausted and it had only been half a first school day, my lack of sleep and the hollow feeling in my chest probably didn't help anything either.

"I'll see you last period." Cassie told me softly, a small smile on her lips as she walked pass me. I somewhat returned the gentle smile towards her but sighed as soon as she left the library and took off my sunglasses, rubbing my eyes with my thumb and index finger as I looked down. Groaning a little at the throbbing in my head as I looked up again, then jumping out of my skin when I saw somebody leaning on a book shelf not far away from me staring intently in my direction.

His blue eyes were a little narrowed, an unfathomable glint was shining in his sky coloured orbs, his blonde head tilted and his strong looking arms crossed over his chest as he regarded me with this smirk. The guy was wearing a typical bad boy leather jacket and boots, his gaze was almost penetrating on me, an almost _knowing_ and understanding flash in his eyes for a split second when he scanned my facial features. He was tall, your stereotypical looking naughty kid.

"Late night?" He asked me, voice smooth and a little quiet. His eyes were probably looking at the heavy bags under my eyes. I noticed we were the only ones in the library.

"What's it to you?" I coolly replied as I quickly placed my sunglasses back on my face to conceal my grief.

"You look like shit, is all." He told me, I scoffed as I knelt down and picked up my bag, swinging it onto my shoulder.

"That's your pick up line?" I questioned him sarcastically. "All the girls must faint in your presence."

"You look a little light headed yourself." He smirked, which resulted in me rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, well. I'm just a sick of you already, so I'm leaving." Turning on my heel, I walked away towards the library door and stepped out, walking towards class. Frowning, I glanced over my shoulder where I had met that boy, he was strange. An aura of mystery surrounding him that allured me to investigate. But this wasn't some cheesy romance story where the good girl fell for the bad boy, so I was going to stay away. There was something about him.

As I sat down in my next class, I saw somebody smirk at me. A girl, to be specific. She was beautiful, her dark hair was pulled back into a pony tail and her smoldering gaze was curious, a mischievous glint was gleaming in her hazel eyes had a tint of brown and green. She looked like the typical bad girl, the female version of the boy I had encountered in the library. She was looking at me like she knew something I didn't, a secret hidden within those mystic eyes.

Looking at the front, I mused over what was wrong with this school. It was like I was attracting all the strange people. Sooner or later I was going to find myself in trouble if this didn't stop, why did that girl keep glancing at me? Why did that guy even bother talking to me? I was the type to keep invisible and linger in the background. I blended with the crowd like a shadow while my sister was the bright shining star. I had friends, yes. But they stopped talking to me when I acted all depressed and such, hm, some friends.

Who needs friends anyway?

At the end of class and ignoring the prodding, wolfish smirk of the weird girl. I had packed up all my stuff in the speed of lightning and rushed out of the room to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the tense stare I had been receiving. I could still feel it burning at the back of my head, tingling and making me apprehensive. What did they want from me? Was I just being paranoid? Had I not suffered enough?

"Hey Cass." I greeted quietly as I sat down next to her in art class. My favorite one. I loved to draw and paint, it was just one of the many escapes from the world. But lately all I managed to draw was birds in black and white, I couldn't bring myself to draw anything else for some reason, who knew why.

"Hey." She looked up at my presence. "I met this girl today, her name's Diana."

"I didn't know you swung that way, sis." Flashing her a joking smirk, I turned around and took the new black book from the teacher, who was handing them out to everyone. He was also handing out blank white stickers for us to put on our books to write down our names so we could claim them as our own books. We also had to write down the name of the teacher and the class (when I said class, I meant the room _and_ the topic).

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes, but a small genuine smile was on her face despite the grief I knew was crushing her inside. I felt a spark of happiness that I could till made her smile, that was the first sincere spread of the lips I had seen in a month. "She told me about this boat house right on the water front that everybody hangs out, I was thinking that maybe we should go?"

As happy as I was that Cassie was socializing again, I was kind of... socially awkward. Especially since I had deprived myself of having friends and keeping them at arms length. I wasn't so sure about going, but Cassie's big blue eyes looked at me hopefully. Even though sadness and sorrow had manifested inside of those ocean coloured orbs, I knew she missed having friends. And she needed them, it would be good for her. If she wanted me to go with her then I couldn't be selfish.

"Alright, sure." I sighed, trying to keep from grimacing at the thought of being around people since I haven't had 'fun' in a while. "Why not?" Her eyes gleamed in excitement for a split second, but then were back to being those pained sky eyes I had come to know for the past month, more or less.

We then paid attention to class, while I felt a little nervous and was dreading this afternoon.

"Because this is only the first day back to school," the teacher, Mr. Young, had started. His dark azure eyes glancing around the class, his eyes stopped on me for a moment and Cassie. He paused, but his expression didn't change and he continued speaking. "I'm going to go easy on you. Sketch something, but don't just draw a stickman or a tree that looks like a thin pole with an afro. Use your imagination!"

Grumbles came from a few students, obviously not feeling like drawing. I flipped open my book on the first page and just started to doodle, talking to Cassie every so often as I made adjustments here and there. Brushing my fingers on the paper, I smudged the inside of the raven, spreading the black substance slightly outside of the line on the drawing so it would look almost fluffy. The feathers were soft looking, wings spread wide as it flew through the clear sky. The beak was closed, eyes completely black with a glint reflected from the shining sun. A shadow was underneath it, from the raven's body shielding the patch of the floor from the sun.

Once again, my drawing was done in black and white.

"Very nice-" Mr. Young looked at the seating plan in his hand for my name then looked up at me with a charming smile as he examined the raven. "-Samantha."

"Thank you." I was a little uncomfortable with the way he stared at me. I averted my eyes away from him, looking down at my work. I didn't really see anything special with my art, though people complimented me on it, so I must be at least a _little_ good. I Supposed I was okays "It's not all that great though, I've seen better."

"Modest as well." He observed then leaned forward, eyes scanning the image. "It seems like an normal, great drawing of a raven. But..." he looked back up at me, eyes searching mine. "It could also have a meaning. Your subconscious could be very well projecting the real way you truly feel."

I frowned and looked down at the black and white raven, what did he mean?

"Allow me to explain what _I_ see." He told me, the book sliding across the table as he examined it. "The raven itself typically represents death-" he tapped the picture of the said bird. "-but in this case, it could be remorse. A flying bird normally represents freedom, but this a raven instead of an eagle. It could wish to escape the guilt it is feeling. It could be a mix of things, like sorrow. The raven could be a symbol of somebody wanting to flee. But the shadow underneath it could also mean it's hiding something. The two colours, black for the loss, and white for their passing onto the heavens. It's an interesting picture."

My lips were set in a thin, severe line as I sat back against my chair and stared at him. His eyes flickered up to me. "Is my description correct?"

"I need to use the restroom." I avoided the question, averting my eyes over towards Cassie, who was standing across the room, collecting different colour paints. How could he have guessed all of that? Did he know me? Was I being paranoid again? Did he used to be a psychiatrist or something?

"I'll get you a pass." He tapped my hand almost seeming reassuring as he walked over towards his desk. My eyes stayed on his being as he ripped a piece of paper from his pad and leaned over his desk, writing something while I crossed my arms and eyed him cautiously. He made me uneasy, being able to read me like a book the first time we meet. I thought I had concealed myself better than that.

He came back and looked at me as he held out the pass in front of me, I stood and reached for the pass, but he suddenly jerked it back and pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes. "And- um-" he walked around the desk, standing directly in front of me. "I don't mean to be a buzz kill..." He tilted his head down, eyes locked on mine. "But for future reference, I don't like it when students wear sunglasses in my class. It makes me feel like they're hiding something."

We stared at each other for a moment, before he slowly held the pass back out, one eye brow raised as he whispered, "I don't like secrets." and I snatched the pass, storming around him and walking quickly towards the girls toilets. What the hell was wrong with these people?

After doing my business, figuring I might as well use the girls restroom for what it's for, I walked incredibly slowly back to class but then remembered I might as well get some stuff from my locker before returning to class. So I went to my locker, struggled with the stiff lock for a bit and wrestled with it, before I walked to class. Mr. Young was sitting in his desk chair and I walked back to my seat next to Cassie, I saw she was tapping her pencil against the paper, looking stumped on what to draw. She sighed and I shuffled over a little, helping her out. when she was inspired, I glanced over towards the mysterious, unnerving teacher. He wasn't looking at me, which gave me relief, but I couldn't help but wonder how he read me that easily.

Later, Cassie and I were at the boat house, she went to go sit down while I went to the bar to get something to drink. Not alcohol, obviously. I actually listened to my mother on the alcohol part. I didn't drink anyway, never having gave in to peer pressure because of my strong will. Unlike my old buddy Jane, she drank like there was no tomorrow. I wasn't even old enough to drink anyway. I preferred milkshake or grape juice either way.

"You look just like him."

Startled, my blue eyes snapped towards the man at the bar. He had short, but slightly messy brown hair and light sky coloured eyes. A crease formed in my brow as I rose an eye brow at the stranger, hoping that he wouldn't have to be added to my mental list of weirdo's that I had to avoid. He stood tall, a plaid shirt worn over a plain blue one. His face was a little pale, but not naturally. He blanched and his bright eyes were a little wide when he examined my facial features.

"Uh- excuse me?" I questioned in response, confused as to who he was referring to. Not another creep. Hadn't I had enough?

"Your father," he said, eyes a little hard as he looked at me. His jaw was clenched as he wiped the bar. My eyes widened dramatically at his words, my mouth parting a little in shock as I eyed him. My heart skipped a beat as the blood in my veins froze, then I faced him directly.

"You knew my father?" I demanded in a whisper, not sure what to think. Mixed feelings washed through my body at this information and I stared at him with wide eyes. Excited, nervous, scared, shocked. Disbelief swimming through my mind as I locked eyes with this stranger in front of me. "What? Were you-" my eyes flickered across his face for some kind of answer. "-friends or something?"

He scoffed, as if the mere idea was completely ridiculous. "Friends isn't exactly the word I'd use."

"Frenemies, then?" I asked, how did he know who my father was?

"Not even close." He said, almost bitterly. I blinked and frowned as I leaned back a little bit, a little confused and worried at this man's hate for my father.

"Did he do something bad to you?" Maybe a dumb question, but I wanted to know.

He then looked at me with a soft expression taking over his features, almost seeming sympathetic. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know _what_?" I was frustrated and confused now. "How do you know my father? Do you know why my mom moved away from here?"

"I'm sorry. I heard about your mother's accident." He suddenly brought up, my chest clenched and I felt a lump in my throat at the mention of her. My jaw tightened as I closed it, staring at his empathetic eyes. He glanced towards Cassie, eyes growing gentle. "Your sister looks like a replica of her mother."

"I know." I stated quietly. In some ways, Cassie reminded me so much of mom, which pained me. But in other ways, it was like a piece of her was with me. Cassie was my rock, I didn't know what I would do if I lost her too. Cassie glanced over and walked towards us, I forced a smile at her.

"You okay?" She asked, seeming to see right through my fake smile for once.

"Yeah," I nodded and nodded towards the man. "He knew our mom."

"You knew our mom?" Cassie repeated, her eyes flickered towards the man. He gave a half scoff with a disbelieving short chuckle, pouring himself a drink.

"I loved her." He declared strongly, Cassie and I exchanged surprised glances.

"How did our father feel about that?" My sister prodded. The mystery man chuckled, grinning as he knocked back a drink.

"He didn't like it."

"I could imagine." I muttered, maybe that was why they didn't like each other? Maybe my dad got jealous and treated this man harshly because of it?

Well, one thing was for sure.

This place was full of surprises.


End file.
